South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1887-06-17
A PUT UP JOB.
A Man Who Fell Overheard
For q Livelihood.
The Device By Which Couple Mad.
Money on Southern Steamboats,

we lett Memphis by steamer ut about
so'clock in the evening, writes NJ. Quad
in the Detroit Free Press, and among
the deck passengers noticed couple,
man and wife. who gazed around as if
they had never seen n steamboat before.
They had an Old coffee sack with some
clothing in il. but no other baggage.
They moved about In a timid way, aud
both seemed much afraid of tho water.
The boat had not gone five miles down
the river, and the large number of pas
sengers had not yet settled down, when
there was an uncarthly shrek, followed
by the cry Of '.man overboardr' The
boat was stopped and her wheels backed
and after two or three minutes il was
learned that ono Of the couple l have
mentioned, the husband, had fallen
overheard. The woman "took ON in
the widest manner crying and moaning
and wringing her hands, and when
asked how it happened, she replied:
He just dun fell over-fell over
fell overp
BY tt at time it was useless to think
OF lowering a boat. There was n swift
current running, and rs the man had
not cried out there could be no doubt
of his being drowned. Every one pitied
the woman, of course, aud when some
body took of his hat and dropped s.
bill into it, it was q ''go" all around. A
hundred dollars was raised for her in IL
minutes, and she went ashore ut the first
landing made by the boat Juggling the
bag of clothes with her. / went down
as far as fernando, Miss, and stoppc,
of there for two days, taking a seconc
steamer down on the third night from
the above occurrence. When | went
down to the levcc l saw couple with
an old sack between 'em who rem nded
Inc of the pair on the boat, and also
saw them come aboard. The resemblance
astonshcd me, but it had to 90 for
coincidence.
The steamer pulled out about 10
o'clock, and had not been under way
half an hour when there was loud
shrek, followed by the cry of, "Man
overboard!" 1t was n repetition of what
have related before, except that some
Of the passeng gers had gone to bed, and
the shake purse didn't count up over $40.
The hat was passed to me, but declined
to chip. The "recent aud grief stricken
widow left the boat at the first land
ing, and i went to bed with the feeling
that curious condolences were mighty
thick on the Mississippi river. left the
boat at Helena, made three days stay,
and was ready to take another boat OH
the down trip when Iran across that
self-same couple at the levcc, waiting for
the same boat. After some minutes
spent in solemn reflection l walked up to
them and said to the man:
"Comc, now, this is square deal, and
give nothing away. Pvc seen you
drowned twice, and I've seen this wild
ow' go ashore with broken heart the
same number of times. Tell me how
you play it and I'll give you w."
Lets see the money"
handed it over and he stowcl it
away in his pocket and then replied:
"Pvc got on rubber lifc-preservcr.
under my clothes, as you see, and gen
orally make shore within couple of
miles. Stranger, don't give it away.
We are poor but honest people"
solcmnly agreed that wouldn't, but
think they rather mistrusted me, for
they waited over to catch boat next
ninht